


5 times Tony calls Peter baby

by madasthesea



Series: Nice work, kid [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Tony Stark, Pet Names, Platonic Cuddling, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 22:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18397817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madasthesea/pseuds/madasthesea
Summary: And one time he tells other people





	5 times Tony calls Peter baby

**Author's Note:**

> This is not the chapter of "turn back the clock" that I was supposed to write, but it was very fun all the same :)
> 
> Prompt: COULD YOU WRITE A STORY WHERE TONY CALLS PETER BABY OH MY GOSH THAT WAS THE CUTEST THING!!!!!!!!

i. on accident

Tony figured that since he had been dealing with insomnia for well over ten years now, he would have no problem adjusting to having a baby. He was so, so wrong.

He doesn’t know what it is about adding a baby to the mix that makes him so exhausted, but at the moment he’s sprawled nearly boneless on the couch, trying to keep his eyes open to make sure Morgan is doing alright. Sleep sounds really nice right about now.

As it is, though, Peter’s coming over in just a minute and Tony probably should be awake to greet him.

As if Tony has summoned him, the elevator doors suddenly open.

“Hi,” Peter calls as he enters, kicking off his shoes. “You look like death.”

“Thanks, Parker,” Tony mumbles. “Oh, hey, could you grab Morgan’s binkie? I left it on the counter.”

“Sure.” Peter’s young and energetic and doesn’t have a three-month-old, so Tony doesn’t even feel slightly guilty about having him get it when Tony has been trying to force himself to get up for the last fifteen minutes.

Peter comes over and hands Tony the binkie, then makes himself at home in the small amount of space Tony has left on the couch.

“Thanks, baby,” Tony mutters, his eyes half closed.

Until he realizes what he just said.

Really, it was bound to happen eventually. Tony calls Morgan ‘baby’ almost more than her own name, and one of his favorite nicknames for Peter is ‘buddy.’ It’s a perfectly logical, understandable slip when he’s as tired as he is.

It doesn’t make it any less embarrassing when Tony’s eyes fly open and he sees Peter staring at him stunned with a dark blush coloring his cheeks.

“Um,” Peter says. There’s a crooked smile slowly turning up his mouth. “Did you just call me baby?”

“Nope,” Tony says hastily. “I was… talking to Morgan.”

Peter raises an eyebrow, seeming to enjoy Tony’s humiliation. “And what exactly were you thanking her for?”

They both turn and look at where Morgan’s having tummy-time on the floor, blowing spit bubbles and batting at a stuffed animal. Tony flounders for a moment.

” _Existing_ , Peter,” he finally snaps. Peter laughs.

“It’s ok, Mr. Stark, you can call me baby if you want.” Peter’s smile turns sharp. “Afterall, everyone must seem like babies when you’re as old as you are.”

“Watch it,” Tony warns, the threat losing all manner of heat when he slumps back against the couch again, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He hears Peter go over to Morgan and start cooing at her. Tony opens one eye and watches as Peter drops down onto his stomach in front of her.

Tony smiles. His babies.

It actually sounds kind of nice.

 

 

ii. injured

Peter’s screaming.

The bullet wound would have been bad enough, but after only a minute it becomes apparent that the bullet has been poisoned.

Tony’s already called for MedEvac, but Peter’s screaming and  _sobbing_  and now there’s nothing Tony can do.

He wishes he could hold the boy’s hand with his own, but he has to keep the gauntlet engaged or Peter will break his fingers. He’s already crushing the suit enough that Tony will have to cut it off.

“Peter,” Tony begs. “I know it hurts, kid, I know.”

Peter sobs again, tears mingling with sweat on his face. He’s laying against Tony’s chest, Tony’s arms holding him up. He’s thrashing so much Tony can barely keep hold of him.

“Tony,” Peter pants, seeming barely aware of what’s going on around him. “Ugh, Tony,  _please_.”

“Just hold on, ok?” Tony says, keeping his voice low so it won’t break. His eyes sting but he can’t move his hand up to wipe the tears away.

Another wave of agony must race through Peter because he screams again, the sound tearing out of his throat, ripping it raw.

Tony squeezes his eyes closed. He presses his lips hard to Peter’s temple.

“It’s ok, baby,” Tony whispers. Peter doesn’t even hear him. “It’s ok. I’m here.”

Over the sound of Peter’s next whimpering sob, Tony hears the quinjet above them.

“Oh,  _thank heavens_ ,” Tony breathes. He kisses Peter’s temple again. “It’s alright now.”

 

 

iii. sleeping

Morgan goes down to bed easily for once, which Tony will never complain about.

He carefully closes the door to her nursery before making his way back to the living room, where Peter is waiting to start another movie, which will almost instantly put him to sleep. Tony would put money on it.

“Alright, my infant is asleep,” Tony announces as he comes out. “Now time for my grumpy teenager.”

“’M not grumpy,” Peter grumbles into the decorative pillow he’s laying against.

He is grumpy. The poor kid had been up til four in the morning working on a project, and despite protesting that eight is too early to go to bed, he seems ready to collapse at any second.

Honestly, Tony wouldn’t mind joining him.

“Whatever you say, kiddo,” Tony says.

Peter gives him a baleful glare that means he knows Tony’s humoring him, but still sits up and lets Tony take back his place on the couch.

Tony stealthily shifts a little closer to Peter. Once the movie has started, he very gradually coaxes Peter into leaning against him.

As Peter gets heavier against him, his breaths slowing with sleep, Tony finds himself drifting off as well.

He stirs when Peter does.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter whispers.

“Yeah, baby?” Peter’s wonderfully warm and solid next to him, a comforting weight.

“The movie’s over.”

“Sure is,” Tony agrees after blearily squinting at the TV, where the credits are rolling.

“We should go to bed,” Peter says, burrowing closer to Tony.

Tony hums.

They wake up the next morning still curled up on the couch.

 

 

iv. comforting

Peter’s trying to hide the fact that he’s been crying, and that hurts Tony almost more than the fact that Peter has been crying.

“Kid,” Tony murmurs. Gosh, even looking at Peter’s tear-stained face is enough to make Tony’s chest  _ache_.

Peter’s bottom lip immediately starts trembling.

“Hi,” he says, and it must take a lot of effort to make his voice sound even close to normal.

“Baby,” Tony tries again, because no matter how unacknowledged it is, he knows Peter likes that nickname. It’s what May calls him, it’s what Tony calls Morgan. He thinks it makes Peter feel like someone’s child again, like family.

That does it. Peter’s face screws up, then he’s practically throwing himself into Tony’s arms.

“Hey, woah.” Tony catches him clumsily, but draws Peter as close as he can, trying to hide him in his embrace.

“I was too late,” Peter hiccups. “I could-couldn’t save her.”

Tony swallows, buries a hand in Peter’s hair. It doesn’t matter how long Peter’s been Spider-Man, every time someone dies it hits him just as hard. As much as it breaks Tony’s heart, having to hold him while he cries, he has never respected another hero more. It’s so much easier to let it numb you, but Peter never does.

“I’m sorry, Pete,” Tony whispers. “I know how hard it is. I know.”

“She was twenty-one,” Peter wails.

“Oh, baby. My Peter. It’s not your fault.”

They’ve had this conversation before and they’ll have it again. For now all he can do is let Peter cry.

 

 

v. saying goodbye

“Kid.”

It’s so quiet amid the chaos, but he has Peter’s attention in an instant.

“Tony?” Peter’s voice is tremulous. He knows something’s wrong. Even if he can’t sense it, he can hear it Tony’s voice.

“As soon as you have the chance, grab the plans and run.”

“And what are you going to do?” Peter asks. Tony can’t see him, they’re on opposite ends of the building. He would give anything to see him again.

“I’m going to give you that chance.”

“Tony,  _no_ ,” Peter yells, but Tony talks over him.

“You should have time to get out. You’ve got to hurry, Pete, ok? Don’t stick around once you’re clear, just go.”

“No,  _no_ , I won’t—”

“It’s going to be ok, baby,” Tony says without thinking. He shouldn’t lie to his kid, but he needs… he needs something, permission or courage or absolution or  _something_  before he blows up the building and himself with it.

“Please don’t do this,” Peter is sobbing over the line. “I’m coming right now, we can figure this out together.”

“You’re my kid. You know that, right?” He’s already in position.

“I know. I know. Please, Tony.”

He thinks about Morgan. About Peter.

His babies.

“Now.”

There’s nothing but roaring, scorching red. Then suffocating black, ringing with Peter’s screams.

 

 

i. to other people

He is, admittedly, a little loopy from pain medicine when Steve, Nat, and Sam come visit him. They’re not really supposed to be there, but they are. He figures he isn’t really supposed to be alive, but he is, so he doesn’t say anything.

Pepper comes in after they’ve started running out of small talk, bless that woman. She’s carrying Morgan and Peter trails behind her.

Steve, the sap, practically knocks the other two over as he claims holding Morgan first.

“That’s my baby, Morgan,” Tony says. He’s not slurring anymore, which is a relief. He’s still a little lightheaded, which is less of relief, since he’s pretty sure that’s why he then waves a hand at Peter and says, “And that’s my other baby, Peter.”

Peter stammers a small, “Well… he means… um…”  

Pepper comes to his rescue. “Adopted baby.” Ok, she kind of comes to his rescue.

The three Avengers exchange confused looks, but Sam rolls with it. “Ok. Nice to meet you, Peter.”

“You too,” Peter mutters, then comes and sits by Tony’s bed and pulls up his hood to unsuccessfully hide his blush. He still holds Tony’s hand, though, so he’s obviously not too mad.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading guys, even though it was kind of terrible <3


End file.
